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And this binge eating in the evening, called iftar, has been adopted by the Hindu politicians in New Delhi. They attend and also arrange iftar parties to binge eat, even when they are not fasting during the day. Kind of eating your cake and having it too. Gautam

logic of fasting is that it is supposed to cleanse your soul when body is deprived of certain olifactory senses and certain intestinal flora and gut bacteria are given a break and not indulge in normal process of digestion, organic by-products of which include generation of gases and undigested and partially digested remainder. The absence of these effluents is supposed to cleanse our body and thereby help us lift our spirits. When one binge eats in evening and morning the very purpose of fasting and cleansing is defeated.

It is in same way as during Id-ul-adha, hapless and innocent animals are sacrificed merely as if it were no skin off ones back. The act of abraham is supposed to be copied here wherein abraham was asked by abraham's God to give up his son Issaac in sacrifice to symbolize abraham's subservience before God as in giving up his most precious possession when asked for it. At the last moment just before abraham was about to sacrifice his son, an angel stopped abraham and asked him to sacrifice his favorite lamb instead. In those days a lamb was a precious possession. Today's equivalent in precious possessions would be an iphone x/7/8 256GB or a bmw/merc/audi/lambo or a precious piece of diamond or jewellery and passing it on to an unknown stranger or giving it away in charity would signify sacrifice. Instead muslims buy someone elses bakra or cattle from mandi and sacrifice it to prove their chootiyapa. And in return the God will give them 2 thappad in form of Fatf and cpec.

JAMMU: The Border Security Force (BSF) today said that the Pakistan Rangers today "pleaded" with them to stop firing along the International Border (IB) after being pounded with heavy artillery that also left a trooper dead across the border.

The border guarding force also released a 19-second thermal-imagery footage showing the destruction of a Pakistani picket across the border in retaliation to the unprovoked firing and shelling along the IB.

"The befitting reply by BSF units to the unprovoked shelling and firing across the IB by Pakistani forces has forced them to plead for ceasefire," a senior official said.

Watch: Pak bunkers busted by BSF troops along International Border01:14Watch: Pak bunkers busted by BSF troops along International Border - Cannot get Video URL – Please Click on the Title.

"For the last three days, the precision fire of BSF troopers on Pakistani firing locations inflicted heavy losses and yesterday, one of the rangers was in chicken neck area," the official said.

The BSF had lost two of its jawans in this latest round of unprovoked firing on the Jammu IB over the last few days.

A number of civilians were also killed and injured in the Jammu area due to this firing incident which was seen to have increased in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a spurt in Pakistani shelling and firing along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) this year.

Over 700 incidents of fire and shelling were reported, which left 38 people, including 18 security personnel dead and scores injured.

Indian agencies have kept a close watch on terror outfits operating out of Pakistan. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case and recently filed a chargesheet, accusing Pakistan High Commission officials of funding terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA has named Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen’s Syed Salahuddin, besides others, in the charge sheet.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also pursuing terror funding cases, including one against J&K-based businessman Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali, who was arrested by the NIA in August 2017 for allegedly receiving funds from the Pakistani establishment and terror outfits.

According to an official, at the Bangkok meet, Pakistan will accept an action plan prepared by the FATF on laws that need to be passed, as well as the action and implementation of UN Security Council resolutions against designated organisations and terrorists including the Taliban and Haqqani Network, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

The APJG recommendations will then be taken up at the next FATF Plenary and if accepted, will ensure that all Pakistan actions on terror financing and money laundering fronts are monitored closely for at least the next year.

Meanwhile, the U.S has made it clear that it will raise the non-action against 26/11 accused Hafiz Saeed, who was last week given heightened security by the Pakistan government. “We’ve addressed this on numerous occasions…our concerns about the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks….that person out in the open is a tremendous concern to the U.S.,” said State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Thursday.

In the run-up to the meeting, Pakistan says it has taken a number of actions aimed at convincing the international body on terror financing of its intention to curb terror groups.

On Friday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting to discuss the proposed action plan on financial, regulatory and legal requirements for the FATF, agencies reported.

Peregrine wrote:The Border Security Force (BSF) today said that the Pakistan Rangers today "pleaded" with them to stop firing along the International Border (IB) after being pounded with heavy artillery that also left a trooper dead across the border.

Pakistani fighter sets world record for smashing most walnuts in one minute

KARACHI – A martial arts expert from Pakistan has set a world record for “ most walnuts smashed with nunchaku in one minute.” A young Pakistani martial arts fighter, Mujtaba Hussain smashed 118 walnuts in one minute to set the Guinness World Record.

This attempt was made in the Pakistan Academy of martial arts in Karachi, which Guinness has confirmed on their website.

Earlier, the record was with Prabhakar Reddy who smashed 108 walnuts in one minute. One more "Indian Enemy" de-throned from Guinness

Peregrine wrote:The Border Security Force (BSF) today said that the Pakistan Rangers today "pleaded" with them to stop firing along the International Border (IB) after being pounded with heavy artillery that also left a trooper dead across the border.

JACOBABAD -In a tragic turn of events, a couple was killed on Saturday in Jacobabad’s Ghari Khairo sub-district allegedly in the name of ‘honour’.According to media reports, the suspected killer gunned down his 18-year-old sister and close relative Allah Bakhsh Dahani over suspicion of their alleged relationship in the name of so-called honour.The duo was shot dead with a Kalashnikov within the jurisdiction of the Miranpur police station, said a police official.

If there was a "Guinness" for most Honor Killings in the last ten years , Pakistan should win it hands down

ISLAMABAD - A complaint was filed in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday.

The complainant, advocate Ali Azim Afridi, filed the complaint against the top judge. The complainant said that on May 3, he had filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging Judge Mian Hassan Gul Aurangzeb’s appointment to the Islamabad High Court (IHC). According to the complaint, Afridi reached Justice Nisar’s chambers to express his views on the appointment. When he started to narrate the petition, the CJP questioned whether he was the son of retired judge Azim Afridi of the IHC to which the advocate replied in the affirmative.

“The said response uninvitingly irked Justice Saqib Nisar; dismissing the case in the like terms, ‘Case dismissed, dismissed and dismissed’,” the complaint writes.

Judge Saquib is well known for dispensing "quick justice".So what is wrong with this "efficient approach"

“The uninvited uproar of Justice Nisar was questioned by the petitioner in the like terms, ‘Your honour, right of hearing is a fundamental right provided for in the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan’, which too piqued Justice Saqib Nisar expressing his will, in the similar terms, ‘Leave my chamber or otherwise’, which though was responded; thanking Justice Mian Saqib Nisar,” the complaint adds.Afridi then penned 13 questions, which raised concerns regarding the conduct of a judge. The petitioner alleges that keeping the said incident in mind, “questions arise over how a person occupying such a powerful office can dismiss petitions without giving just cause”. “Each question begged intervention from the SJC in the matter.”

Not sure, if this will help the petitioner . In fact, using his "influence" in the SJC, Nisar will make it "tough" for Afridi to practice law in the future, at least IMO

To further strengthen the complaint, Afridi went on to quote multiple senior judges in different cases.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s goods-import capacity has dropped to an alarming level of less than two and a half months after its foreign currency reserves fell to a four-year low of $10.79 billion on May 11 this year.

“Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves are insufficient for two and a half months of imports,” JS Global Chief Commercial Officer Khurram Schehzad said while talking to The Express Tribune.

Precisely, Pakistan can import goods for a maximum of two months and one week with the help of current reserves. It needs roughly $4.58 billion for one month of imports to keep industries running and meet needs of consumers. In the Ten Months Period July 2017 to April 2018Terroristan Imported "Goods and Services" to the tune of US$ 54,090 Billion!

“Reserves that cover three months of imports should be considered satisfactory,” he said.

Pakistan’s reserves have plummeted 40.47% to $10.79 billion on May 11, 2018 from a record high of $18.14 billion at the end of June 2016, according to data of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

The reserves touched the peak after Pakistan borrowed $6.6 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a 36-month Extended Fund Facility that ended in September 2016. A case of "Borrowing Money" and Terming them as "Reserves" i.e. Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul!

Since then, the reserves have been on the downtrend as economic managers have largely failed to find new markets to increase the country’s exports and restrict growing imports, which was the largest source of shrinking foreign exchange reserves.

Pakistan’s imports stood at $45.56 billion for first 10 months of the current fiscal year, which were more than double the value of exports that amounted to $20.55 billion.

The government let the rupee depreciate by around 9.5% in two rounds – 5% in December 2017 and 4.5% in March 2018 – in a bid to shore up reserves by encouraging exports and discouraging imports.

The move has helped a little bit in improving exports, but has failed to curb excessive imports and added to the country’s external debt.

Pakistan’s accumulated external debt rose $669.3 million due to weakening of the US dollar against other major international currencies and rupee’s depreciation against the US dollar in first half (Jul-Dec 2017) of the current fiscal year 2017-18, according to the SBP’s second-quarter report on the state of Pakistan’s economy.

The outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government has acquired $44.2 billion in external loans in the past around five years to keep foreign exchange reserves at appropriate levels. Loans have been received through the sale of Eurobond and Sukuk in international markets, Chinese financing, investments under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), project financing and other international grants.

Schehzad said remittances sent home by overseas Pakistanis may increase slightly from the estimate of around $20 billion in FY18 after economies of oil-producing and exporting counties started improving on the back of higher crude prices that hit three-and-a-half-year high at $80 per barrel in the international market.

“However, the increase in remittances may not help take the reserves to higher levels as this may be offset by higher oil imports,” he cautioned.

Pakistan’s economy depends heavily on imported oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel its industries as well as meet demand of domestic consumers. It meets almost three-fourths of energy needs through imports, which contribute close to one-third to the overall import bill.

Schehzad voiced hope that the tax amnesty scheme aimed at attracting dollars from overseas Pakistanis and efforts made to stop the leakage of reserves following the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) warning to put Pakistan on terror-financing watch list may help the country improve reserves in the near future.

However, if the reserves continue to weaken, Pakistan may be forced to go back to the IMF for a bailout package, analysts say. Same Ol' Wine in the Same Ol' Bottle!

I am unable to understand this based on basic economics of supply and demand.

Price goes up when demand outstrips supply. So it appears that there is sudden demand for all these fruits, nuts and other food products.

Ramzan is a month of prayer/penance, and fasting is one requirement. Fasting (even for a portion of the day) would imply that demand of food products should largely go down, rather than up. Are Pakis stuffing themselves silly during the holy month?

Actually stomach related ailments go up during this month across islamic world. Reason is that people wake up early in the morning gorge of food and water and then do not eat or drink all day. Then have an iftaar party at night to gorge again food. People end up eating more food during this month.

yensoy wrote:I am unable to understand this based on basic economics of supply and demand.

Price goes up when demand outstrips supply. So it appears that there is sudden demand for all these fruits, nuts and other food products.

Ramzan is a month of prayer/penance, and fasting is one requirement. Fasting (even for a portion of the day) would imply that demand of food products should largely go down, rather than up. Are Pakis stuffing themselves silly during the holy month?

SBajwa wrote:Actually stomach related ailments go up during this month across islamic world. Reason is that people wake up early in the morning gorge of food and water and then do not eat or drink all day. Then have an iftaar party at night to gorge again food. People end up eating more food during this month.

SBajwa Ji :

IFTAR is a "small meal" - some Muslims call it Break-Fast before the Main Meal.

The Main Meal is after Magreb Namaaz and that is when the Muslims Gorge With Both Hands!

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has threatened to close down the Pak-Afghan Highway and Indus Highway on May 22 in protest against the Federally Administered Tribal Areas’ (FATA) likely merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Addressing a news conference following an emergency party meeting on Sunday, JUI-F’s FATA Chapter chief Mufti Abdul Shakoor, General Secretary Mufti Ijaz Shinwari and Information Secretary Jihad Shah said FATA’s merger with KP “is an international agenda which will not be supported at any cost.”

The proposed action is definitely going to increase Imran Khan PTI Party "influence" in FATA province to the detriment of Maulana Diesel !

They said the party will stage a protest demonstration at the Pak-Afghan Highway in Landi Kotal and a separate one at the Indus Highway in Darra Adam Khel simultaneously against ignoring the will of tribal people and imposing decisions on them against their wishes.

Maulana Diesel has a "special talent" for ingratiating himself with people in power. He can "work" with Ganja and Dus Percenti. He considers Imran Khan as an Agent of Israel and a "yahoodi lover" , just because Imran's first wife happened to be of Jewish origin

The two highways will be closed for all traffic, they warned.

Earlier today, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that the party had decided to part ways with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over the implementation of reforms in FATA.

As Nawaz is "out of favor" , Fazl has ditched him . Now the Maulana will look elsewhere to be near "power" !

In a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting on Saturday, the top civil and military leadership of the country had put their weight behind the merger and directed the relevant ministries to take steps in this regard.

And Fazl was not invited in the "meet", hence the angst

The committee also endorsed the provision of additional well-monitored development funds for the FATA region during the next ten years, with the stipulation that those funds would not be re-appropriated to any other area of KP.

Will the Maulana be able to "drink" his fill from this new fountain of funds for FATA

KARACHI: Dr Fauzia Siddiqui, sister of Pakistani scientist Dr Aafia Siddiqui who is imprisoned in the US, said on Sunday that she could not confirm any of the miscellaneous reports circulating on social media about Dr Aafia's health or life.Dr Fauzia said that they have not been told anything in this regard by Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the US prison officials, some local media outlets reported.Earlier, some reports circulating on social media suggested that the imprisoned Pakistani scientist has passed away in the United States.Dr Fauzia said that they have no contact with Dr Aafia for the past two years, adding that despite countless efforts, they could not find an answer to their queries from either Pakistani or the US officials.

It is rumored that she was an Al-Qaeda agents. There were other reports which suggested that it was Musharaf who "sold" this Paki scientist to CIA !

Dr Aafia was indicted by a New York federal district court in September 2008 on charges of attempted murder and assault stemming from an incident in an interview with US authorities in Ghazni, charges which Siddiqui denied. After 18 months in detention, she was tried and convicted in early 2010 and sentenced to 86 years in prison. Throughout the trial, the Pakistani government supported Siddiqui, and her conviction resulted in protests in Pakistan.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) ... immediately sprung to action. The airline posted a throwback of Princess Diana on their trip to the country's northern areas and requested the newly weds to come visit those places as well... with PIA.

we thought how wonderful it would be for the newly weds to visit our northern splendours as well! So #PrinceHarry & #PrincessMeghan, we are ready, just let us know when! #PIA

Sindh is getting 50pc less water than what it received during the corresponding period last year at Guddu barrage upstream, the first barrage on Indus after the river enters the province, dealing a serious blow to cultivation of Kharif season crops of rice and cotton.

irrigation authorities could release water into the canals only for drinking purposes

Guddu barrage is having 67pc less water, Sukkur 42pc and Kotri 66pc less

The Sindh government has sought the federal government’s role to make relevant laws enabling the provincial authorities to get registered the Chinese nationals entering the province through land routes, said a senior official on Sunday.

Sindh government had noticed an “alarming” increase in ATM frauds in the provincial capital

The federal government was approached to make such laws to enable us to register all those Chinese nationals who enter Sindh through land routes. The proposal was devised in the backdrop of an alarming increase in skimming incidents at ATM booths of banks.

Are Sindhis saying that their sweeter than honey, taller than......(you know the rest) birathers are cheats and thieves?

How many pakis (momeens, momeenettes and little jihadis and little ayeshas does it take to make a nation? The answer is - one will never know.

Finalising census results without third-party audit

AMID controversy over the process, implication and outcome, the third-party validation exercise for auditing provisional results of the National Census 2017 seems to have reached its natural death.

The final results of the country’s sixth census, conducted last year, are now expected to reach the Council of Common Interests (CCI) for approval, without independent validation

On Aug 25, 2017, the CCI approved provisional results of the census, which puts the country’s population at 207.77 million with an annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent

By convention, a PES is conducted within one month of a census to determine if there are people who have been missed in the enumeration or were counted more than once. All censuses have these exclusion, multiple-inclusion and erroneous entries’ errors.

International experts advised the government that given the length of the time elapsed since the census, the PES would simply be an exercise in futility because a year is too long a period for a population to stay put in the same number and location.

On top of that, billions of rupees would be needed for an exercise unlikely to guarantee a resolution to the issue.

The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics did a major exercise in 2001, analysing the 1998 census data and found an under-enumeration by 2pc.

According to the 1998 census, the population of Pakhanistan was 130,857,717. The actual population would have been 133,474,871 (if one was to believe PIDE- pronounced PIDDY - and increased it by 2%). Therefore, growing @ 2.4% since 1998, the 2017 census should have come up with an estimated population of 214,500,000 million pakis (not including their goats, sheep and second generation afghans). Secondly, the recent and past censuses have ignored the frontier regions for obvious tactical reasons.

Former spy chief Lt Gen (retd) Asad Durrani has admitted that the 'Political Cell' of ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) carried out a political assessment ahead of the 1990 elections. The former director general of ISI also admitted that the-then Chief of Army Staff General Mirza Aslam Beg was his boss and was in the know.

Gen Durrani's startling revelations came as part of his statement to a team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) probing the alleged distribution of estimated Rs148 crores among politicians to pollute the 1990 polls in the country.

Gen Mirza Aslam Beg claimed that he had vehemently warned the-then spy chief Gen Durrani against dragging the military into "political engineering" ahead of the 1990 polls.

Whoa! It is now - he said, he said. What a rotten banana republic! The peels are off.

Moody's Investors Service said that Pakistan's (B3 stable) credit profile is supported by the country's robust growth performance and potential, a large — but low-income — economy, and an improved track record of reforms that started under its 2013-16 International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.

A part of Jizya being paid by Sikhs hoping to protect their life and livelihood. A lot of Sikhs have migrated from Peshawar to Nankana Sahib as they think relatively large population there will give them protection.

The holy and much awaited month of Ramadan is finally upon us, with 17th May being the first day of Ramadan. Muslim’s all over the country are observing their fasts with enthusiasm, redemption is being sought out, and the gates of heaven are open to all those willing to seek them out. ( Something like if you pray only on Friday , your sins are "washed away", or if you "embark" on Hajj, you are "guaranteed" a place in "Janaat", even though in both cases, you remain a "scoundrel" for the rest of the year )

The issue, however, is in the law imposed by the government, wherein eating, drinking, or smoking in public are forbidden, because it is quite clear that there aren’t any other religious groups in Pakistan who do not fast, nor is there any freedom to practice religion whichever way one chooses, whereas the smokers just want to be left to their devices. This Ayesha should "watch her tongue and pen" in this day and age of the Press Police ( AKA Pemra ) !

Due to the Ehtaram – e – Ramadan Ordinance, eating or drinking in public is illegal and anyone found in violation of the law will be fined. The fine went from Rs. 500 to Rs. 5,000 for individuals, from Rs. 500 to Rs. 25,000 for restaurants and from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 500,000 for cinemas and TV channels. Cinemas are also required to remain closed during fasting hours. Why are we still following the archaic and outdated laws introduced during the rule of the glorious General Zia? Shouldn’t all laws made under the martial law be struck off? Because the Islamization course set by Zia cannot be reversed . In the same way that the Bhutto law- to save his PM seat - to make Ahmedis "Non Muslim" at the stroke of a pen , cannot be reversed, unless you want a Mullah revolt on your hands

Perhaps, after the enforcement of such harsh laws upon the people, the Pakistani government should make some crucial changes as well: the eradication of the white section in the flag of Pakistan. If the law cannot respect non-Muslim citizens, then there is no place for their representation on the country’s flags. In the tradition of Taqiyya it is just a "token" gesture for PR purposes onlee . The Book clearly says that Non -Muslims are not to be equated to Muslims ! Besides this, there are several other reasons why this law shouldn’t be enforced.

Islam clearly states that the sick, the weak, and the elderly may choose not to fast. People with heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure issues, or an injury will obviously be eating because they cannot risk their lives to fast and will be affected by this law. Paki Urban Legend is full of stories where many un-religious momeens claim that they are fasting, to avoid embarrassment and to pose a veneer of religiosity to their elders

Should we even be addressing the women? The ones who menstruate or are pregnant, or are lactating mothers? Women have always been expected to hide behind the walls of their home, so it comes as no surprise that they too have been disregarded. The Book clearly states that the evidence of a woman is not equal to the evidence of a mard !

In 2015, a heat wave took the lives of over 1,250 people, which serves as a viable reason to not fast. The terrible heat led to dehydration which was the largest cause of death, yet the government still hasn’t let up on state policies that promote religious fanaticism."The Climate Authorities Of The World" have named one of the Paki cities in Sind ( Nawabshah) as the hottest place on earth this year. The Govt should take its Ramazan RAMADAN clues from that

Sex Education is an integral part of education, should be made mandatory from an early age, and has been long due in our country. If undergraduates in a university can consider breast cancer sexual in nature when breasts aren’t even inherently sexual, let alone a disease which kills a considerable percentage of the female population, then it’s time to educate them. What does the BOOK has to say about it . The "problem" of sex education- whether haram or halal - should be "transferred" to the doorsteps of The Islamic Ideology Council Of Pakistan and let them come out with an unanimous ruling ( AKA Fatwa !) . Let them "earn" their living for a change instead of taking an all expense paid tour to Saudia or Malaysia for the purpose of "pilgrimage" or "propagation" of Malsi !

Everyone should be made aware of how their bodies function, practicing safe, sane, consensual sex, sexually transmitted diseases and contraception. Men and women need to get over any shame they feel due to basic bodily functions, and accept that all that occurs is natural – unless of course, it isn’t and how to identify what’s wrong with their bodies. Furthermore, gynecology needs to be swept off the taboo table and into the norm. These kind of "radical" changes will takes generations in a Islamic society unless you want a Khomeni style revolution on your hands !

The mere mention of the word, “sex” causes heads to swivel around and raised eyebrows, questioning your morals. In schools, teenagers are sexualized beyond belief when they are seen sitting together on their own yet sexual education goes against the morals of our cultures because teaching children about sex, will lead to…more sex? What logic, what reasoning, what evidence? Besides, wouldn’t we rather aforementioned students practice safe sex rather than teenage pregnancies and STDs they cannot recognize until it’s too late? The moral police are politely asked (see what we did there?) to take a step back and consider if nothing else, the rapid rise in population. The idea is to start with small changes and the best education starts at home !

Men and women are not aware of simple necessities like condoms, let alone birth control pills. Rather than talking about birth control in a classroom, Pakistan prefers to run not-so-subtle ads, which include a pedophilic uncle in a shop and a shy, young lady asking for an intriguingly named brand of condoms; which the sexual partner probably doesn’t use, because he doesn’t know how. Western concepts cannot be "transplanted" and implemented here. Again the advice of the Mullahs is de rigueur in Pakiland !

Child sexual abuse is increasingly becoming an issue in Pakistan, yet not a single government has taken mandatory action to protect these children, the most effective method being sex Ed. Children need to know what sort of contact with an adult is alright, and what they need to report to an adult. Victims of sexual assault or molestation need the assurance to come out to a responsible adult, and families need to stop thinking of rape as dishonor and help victims out with therapy and punishment to their assaulters. None of this is possible without Sex Ed. Mullahs need to be educated on "sex ed" first !

The right to say NO, and accept it as an answer should be ingrained into children from a young age; this is the only way to progress as a sexual assault-free society. Other than that, menstruation needs to be discussed openly, and sanitation provided to all women.Sex Ed is not an evil, it is a method of preventing evil in our society and make Pakistan a safe place for all genders. Does that include the "brand new" category of "transgenders"

World Bank to invest $460m in road from Peshawar to Afghan borderThe Express Tribune May 20, 2018

ISLAMABAD: After marked improvement in the security situation, the World Bank has decided to invest $460 million to build a new road from Peshawar to Afghanistan border aimed at bolstering trade between the two nations and creating job opportunities in war-torn federally administered tribal areas (FATA).

The board of directors of the World Bank is likely to approve( operative word ! may or may not happen . WB is "controlled" by Massa . USA is in a running feud with the Pakis these days !) the $460-million loan next month for Peshawar-Torkham Expressway Corridor project, according to World Bank documents. The total cost of the project is nearly $483 million and the remaining amount will be arranged by Pakistan from its own resources.

The major component of the loan, $383.6 million, will be given for the construction of the road that will have a total cost of $403 million. Another amount of $72 million will be sanctioned for the development of marble and horticulture sectors in FATA. Pakistan plans to build a new four-lane road from Peshawar to Torkham border, as the existing two-lane road cannot be modernised due to various constraints. This fartice should be filed under category of "where action is lacking, buzz words make up the slack "

The World Bank study for the project underlines that improvements in security, infrastructure investments, and renewed regional economic cooperation have given new hope for the revival of cross-border trade and bolstering of economic growth. Buzz words, nothing else !

It adds that the security situation in north-western Pakistan has improved dramatically over the past few years. In 2015, the reported number of insurgent attacks fell by almost one half; and in 2016, a further drop of 28% in terrorist attacks was reported. The energy shortfall is gradually being addressed by the establishment of micro-hydro power plants, while investments in transportation infrastructure are addressing bottlenecks to connectivity between Peshawar and the rest of Pakistan. Ditto !

The inefficiencies stemming from mostly dilapidated transportation network are estimated by the government to cause a loss of roughly 3.5% of the country’s annual gross domestic product.The second component of the $460-million project is aimed at improving productivity of existing enterprises established in FATA and encouraging private investments in the area. For the development of the Khyber Pass Economic Corridor the World Bank will approve $72 million out of total estimated cost of $75 million.Two target sectors are marble production, a sector in which FATA has 446 processing units, which accounts for 20% of Pakistan’s production, and horticulture. Both sectors have great potential for export. The World Bank said that marble exports are currently limited, as the mineral can fetch prices around five to ten times higher in international markets than in local markets. Fruits and vegetables, which may be further processed, already comprise a substantial share of export volume through Torkham.

All illusions of prosperity . Recent reports have stated that Pak-Afghan trade volume and dollar amount has fallen drastically. The Afghans are no longer dependent of Pakiland . And the recent PTM Movement is surely going to take a toll in the transit trade !!!

PAKISTAN will soon be going into election campaign mode, and already the engines of fake news are working overtime.

It was in the aftermath of the US election in 2016 that this phenomenon became big news itself, and social networking sites — the principal means of spreading disinformation — received much negative attention.

The fact that the underhand activity was ostensibly aimed at influencing the outcome of the election made the issue one of utmost gravity. Undoubtedly, electioneering everywhere is always punctuated with claims and counter claims by political rivals that are not always based on fact, and at times are demonstrably false.

So far so good as far as the history of the origin of fake news is concerned !

But the echo chamber that is the social media has made disinformation a far more potent weapon in recent years.

At a time when the political climate is at fever pitch, Pakistan too is awash with reports of dubious credibility, further amplified by a section of the mainstream media, which sometimes takes its cue from disinformation being peddled on social media, and presents it as fact rather than taking the trouble to verify it first.A polarised public makes the situation murkier still, but that puts even more onus on the media to sift truth from the morass of lies and innuendo. One major difference is that nowaday the Press and the MSM of Pakiland is directly or directly "controlled" by the Deep State, even to the extent of being allowed physical access to certain areas ( FATA, Baluchistan !) . No such restriction prevails in Massaland, though self censorship is practiced and alternative views are discouraged in MSM !

To cite one example of such disinformation, further embellished in the retelling on both social and mainstream media, is that pertaining to the circumstances surrounding Nawaz Sharif’s interview published recently in this newspaper. This paper has now been ostracized by the Authorities for daring to publish this interview in DAWN and the super uber patriots are calling for the Head Of The Reporter ( Cyril Almeida ) and shutting down this Daily for daring to criticize The Deep State !

Among the falsehoods were claims that Mr Sharif or his aides themselves reached out to the reporter, Cyril Almeida; that a special plane was sent by the PML-N to take him to Multan; that he was in the city expressly to interview the former prime minister, etc.

The fact is that the journalist had arrived in Multan (by road) the day before to report on the political situation in south Punjab; he contacted Mr Sharif’s team upon learning that he would be coming to Multan for a rally; and the interview was conducted not at the airport but at a PML-N leader’s residence.

Perhaps a phone call to one of the senior editors at the newspaper office would have helped quash these rumours. The Editorial is setting the record straight . And assuring the Deep State that it was not in bed with Nawaz to demonizing the Paki Fauj And The State

In an environment where fake news threatens the very foundations of journalism, it is imperative that editors of various media outlets connect with each other ‘across the aisle’ and collaborate on a code of ethics that will sustain and strengthen their profession. Will PEMRA and Deep State allow this to happen

Asma Nawab spent two decades in jail, wrongfully accused of murdering her family. Finally acquitted, she is seeking a new life, free from whispers and memories, as her plight draws fresh questions over country's justice system. Nawab was just 16 years old when someone slit the throats of her parents and only brother during an attempted robbery at their home in Karachi in 1998. With the killings dominating headlines, prosecutors pushed for swift justice in a 12-day trial that ended with a death sentence handed to Nawab and her then-fiance.The next 20 years were “very painful”, Nawab, now 36, says tearfully. “The verdict of this case was given in 12 days but it took 19 and a half years to dispose of the appeals,” her lawyer Javed Chatari told AFP. Stories like Nawab's are common in Pakistan, where the judiciary lacks the capacity to cope with the country's surging population and an expanding case load, resulting in a mammoth backlog. Rampant corruption in the police force also means the wealthy are able to bypass the law, while deep-seated patriarchy means women in particular face an uneven playing field in the justice system. Hats off to lawyer Javed Chatari for pleading case of Ma'am Asma Nawab, even in developed nations cases of wrongful conviction happens, & innocent inmates got out of prison after decades.

ISLAMABAD – In an unprecedented development, former spy chiefs of Pakistan and India have co-authored a book having a plethora of sensational disclosures about the security discourse of South-Asia and other issues of prominence.

The book named ‘The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace’ is written by General Asad Durrani and former chief of Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), A S Dulat and reveals shocking aspects of how the son of Asad Durrani, former Inter-Services Intelligence chief, was released after Indian spy agency RAW intervened in the matter. Did Daulat seek permission from Indian Authorities to write the Book . Did ISI give OK to Durrani on this

It states that in May 2015, Osman Durrani came to Kochi (Indian port) for work on behalf of a German company and according to visa restrictions, he should have left the country from the city that he entered from but his office booked him from a flight back via Mumbai; he was detained by authorities in Mumbai following which 24 hours of backchannel networking helped release of Durrani’s son, despite the visa violation.

Asad Durrani, who is also making headlines in Pakistan due to Asghar Khan case, continues in the book that his family was in a panic because they were unaware of how events would unfold after the detention of his son.

“But even those people (Mumbai special branch) did not grill him about his Bombay visa and did not put him behind bars. That could have happened, but it didn’t,” stated Durrani.

The former spy chief recalled that in the meantime, his family was concerned about the consequences if someone reported that the son of a former ISI chief was roaming around Mumbai, at a time when the Indians hadn’t forgotten 26/11; even then he enlisted the help of Dulat.

“Dulat called several people including then RAW chief Rajinder Khanna. The Indian intelligence establishment sprung into action as Osman was stonewalled. Things however worked out and Osman was able to fly back to Germany after a day from Mumbai,” wrote Durrani.

If the matter was exposed in the press, all sorts of embarrassing questions would have come up . Some heads would / should have rolled

In the page-turner, Dulat recalls that the most touching part of the incident was that when he called Khanna to thank him for his help, the RAW chief said in reference to Durrani, “It’s our duty, after all, he’s a colleague.”

The book is of pivotal importance especially in the backdrop of how both the neighbours harboured a grudge against each other, however, their spy chiefs were having cordial relations.The rescue of Osman Durrani was also confirmed by his father in a brief interaction with a leading newspaper.

The book, which will be available in Pakistan soon, also sheds light on the so-called surgical strike of the Indian Army in Azad Kashmir, the arrest of Kalbhushan Jadev, Nawaz Sharif, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Kashmir, Muzaffar Burhan Wani Shaheed and Akhand Bharat plan of India. Not sure if Daulat is on board with "Modi-ji and Doval-ji's plan to "get tough" on Pakiland for its sponsorship of terrorism

Besides narrating the spine-chilling incidents, former Indian RAW chief AS Dulat – who served as the RAW boss from 1999-2000 – has reminded the Indian leadership to address the Kashmir issue first of all. Despite dim hopes, the book has also indicated the possibility of resumption of talks between Pakistan and India in the wake of forthcoming elections in the Muslim-majority nation.

The book is hitting the shelves days after Pakistan and India renewed the Track II diplomacy with an Indian delegation holding talks with a Pakistani team on April 28-30. So, the newspaper is confirming that such a meet did happen !

Although India claims that the recent efforts for detente did not signify any watering down of New Delhi’s position that terror and talks can’t go together, a senior bureaucrat privately admitted that such a dialogue would surely be at the behest of the government. Not sure if this is true or not !

The Track II diplomacy is generally called Neemrana Dialogue, named after the fort in Rajasthan where it was first held in 1991, but it is brushed aside by New Delhi, with Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar saying that “…functional exchanges between the two sides have continued and is actually a part of normal process between the two countries. So there is nothing new which we see in this dialogue”.

The contents of ‘The Spy Chronicles’ will be unfurled in next few days, however, this is not the first time the top guns of spy agencies from both the countries have come closer.

In the public debate of its kind, the former spy chiefs of Pakistan’s top spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) sat together in October last year for an event titled ‘Spymasters Speak’.

The discussion was held in the packed Sheikh Zayed Theatre of the London School of Economics,( UAE Money Diplomacy In Action ) where General (r) Ehsan ul Haq and Amarjit Singh Dulat talked about the challenges, limits and potential faced by spy agencies when it came to domestic and international security issues.

The gathering, arranged by South Asia Future Forum, was one of its kind for both countries which are deeply entrenched in long-standing rivalries, starting from the Kashmir conflict to the most recent episode involving Kulbhushan Jadhav.

KARACHI – At least 65 people died of heatstroke in Karachi since Saturday as the temperature hit 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) on Monday during the Holy month of Ramazan, Edhi confirmed.According to Faisal Edhi, 114 bodies were brought to the Edhi Foundation’s morgues in Karachi’s Korangi and Sohrab Goth areas in the past three days, out of which at least 65 had died from heatstroke. Most of the citizens who died from heatstroke were residents of Landhi and Korangi, he added. In a "normal" country , such a huge responsibility ( health and welfare ) of the populace should be the responsibility of the local or the provincial authorities . In Pakistan , due to lack of resources - the military hogs most of the monies - the private NGO ( like Edhi ) are left to do this vital function

He said that most heatstroke victims had died at their home. The ages of people who succumbed to the ongoing heatwave in Karachi varied from six to 78 years, he said.

Highlighting the magnitude of the crisis caused by the severe heat, Faisal Edhi said that the morgue in Korangi receives around 10-11 bodies per day. However, since Saturday evening, the morgue had received 34 bodies, while the morgue in Sohrab Goth had received 30 bodies. In the meantime, the rich and powerful of the city ( as well as the country) are gorging themselves on fancy Iftar dinners and Iftar parties, which carry well into the "hot" night , but in airconditioned comfort with Qawalis and Nats as "entertainment" on the side

“People did not get medical help on time, which resulted in their death,” he said. He said major deaths occurred in Korangi where a large number of labourers work. Meanwhile, medics at Jinnah Medical Center and Civil Hospital have denied receiving heatstroke patients.

Nothing less than an Iranian Style Khomeni Revolution is going to make this country right -with terrible consequences for the RAPE CLASS - at least IMO. Not sure where the Elite will seek refuge to escape the wrath of the awaam. A terrible scenario to think off !!!

VIDEO: Who is this Pakistani eating and licking his fingers during Iranian President’s speech at the OIC?

LAHORE – Pakistan’s law minister has been inviting ire of Muslims, especially Iranians, after he was caught snacking and licking his fingers during President Hassan Rouhani’s speech at an extraordinary summit of the world’s top Islamic bloc last week. Bet 100 to 1 , that the said "Minister" would not dare do this in front of the Saudi Monarch and the Head Of The Kabbah ! . In spite of "pretensions" of neutrality, the Pakis do not take the Shia Iranis seriously

Barrister Zafarullah Khan, who was seated behind the Iranian leader, can be seen eating dates and drinking sweet syrup in a video, shared by an Iranian news portal Entekhab News, which is making rounds on social media. Most likely, he will be "demoted" specially if the Iranis complain that he broke the sanctity of Ramadhan Ramazan !

It was, however, unclear whether Khan who also enjoys the status of the Special Assistant to Pakistan’s Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, broke his fast for Ramazan before every other participant or he took his seat just after Iftar (meal after sunset).

If this is proved to be correct, the Mullahs are going to "cook his goose" in the Paki National Assembly for sure

The minister, who was earlier confused as a diplomat by the Iranian media, was part of the Pakistan delegation to the Istanbul summit that was convened by Turkish President Erdoğan on Friday to denounce the Israeli violence that killed at least 62 Palestinians during mass rallies on May 14 in the besieged Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was leading the delegation which included Foreign Minister Khurram Dastgir and other senior officials.